Chapter 103. Escaping Oguri Cap Part 1
As the starter stepped onto the platform and raised the flag, Shuta An's phone vibrated softly in his hand.
It was a LINE message—from Symboli Rudolf.
"After the race, there's something I'd like to discuss with you, Shuta-kun."
"Discuss…something?" Shuta An frowned slightly.
"At a time like this, what could there possibly be to talk about? Oguri's plans after retirement? Or Tokai Teio's future? It can't be about me, right?"
His gaze drifted momentarily. "Besides, I've already accepted the employment contract. There's no reason for me to go back on it now—"
Shaking his head, Shuta An forcibly pushed the thought aside.
Because at that very moment, the band had already begun playing the opening fanfare.
This year's Arima Kinen was about to begin.
Right now, nothing else mattered.
—
Oguri Cap stepped into the starting gate, calmly surveying the Uma Musume positioned on either side of her—Mejiro Ardan to one side, Kyoei Tap to the other.
Mejiro Ardan had once placed second in the Japanese Derby during Sakura Chiyono O's year.
Kyoei Tap, meanwhile, was the reigning winner of this year's Queen Elizabeth Cup—the final jewel of the Triple Tiara.
As Oguri Cap observed Mejiro Ardan, Mejiro Ardan was doing the same.
This was her first-time racing against Oguri Cap, and it was the first time she had stood so close to her.
Due to her fragile health, Mejiro Ardan had participated in relatively few G1 races. Compared to Oguri Cap—who had spent the past two years racing exclusively at the highest level—they lived in entirely different worlds.
Mejiro Ardan had entered this year's Arima Kinen through fan voting.
Her Trainer had initially opposed the decision. In his view, rather than participating in the undeniably high-intensity Arima Kinen, Mejiro Ardan should conserve her strength, recover properly, and prepare for graded races—or even G1 races—the following year.
To be blunt, with Oguri Cap retiring from the domestic Twinkle Series, next year's competition would be far more favorable.
But Mejiro Ardan had refused.
As a member of Oguri Cap's generation, stepping onto the turf of Nakayama Racecourse today, she harbored a simple, sincere thought—
"Even if we're not close…this is my last chance to share a racetrack with Oguri Cap."
Kyoei Tap, on the other hand, was in full fan mode.
"I'm actually starting right next to Oguri-senpai!" Her eyes sparkled. "I absolutely have to get a good start!"
—
Clang!
The starting gates flew open.
Kyoei Tap—who had been brimming with resolve—froze for an instant in disbelief.
Oguri Cap's gate speed was far faster than hers.
Constantly aware that this was her retirement race in the Twinkle Series, Oguri Cap exploded forward the moment the gates opened. She could even feel the gate brush against her shoulder as she launched.
But it didn't slow her down in the slightest.
With smooth, decisive strides, Oguri Cap surged to the front of the pack immediately after the start.
"Eh?" The live commentator hesitated briefly before continuing. "Oguri Cap has taken a very aggressive position—she's already at the front of the field! Is she…leading the pack? This is a tactic Oguri Cap has never used in the Twinkle Series!"
"What—?"
Shuta An stiffened slightly.
The tactic he had set for Oguri Cap was a standard, orthodox senko strategy. Even with a smooth start, there was no reason to abruptly change tactics.
"What is Oguri thinking?" His brows knitted together as he muttered under his breath.
The Uma Musume in the private box noticed his expression at once. Tokai Teio, never one to mince words, asked directly:
"Trainer, is Oguri-senpai leading because you told her to?"
"No." Shuta An's mouth twitched. "I never instructed her to lead. To be honest, I'm just as surprised as you are."
He continued, voice low.
"Nakayama does favor escape and senko tactics, and it's unfavorable to late closers—but Oguri Cap has no experience in leading. To suddenly choose a leading strategy—I'll have to ask her about this after the race."
"Maybe it's because Osaichi George didn't get a clean start," Mejiro Dober offered thoughtfully.
"She was expected to lead, but despite drawing gate three, she hesitated slightly at the break. Long Live Free/Free Runner from gate four blocked her, so she couldn't break away early." (She is a character in the manga?)
"In other words," Dober continued, "there was no true escape Uma Musume. Oguri-senpai started at her usual pace and just…ended up in front."
"Right," Tokai Teio nodded, eyes fixed on the screen. "She's essentially running a senko pace while holding the lead. And it doesn't look like anyone wants to challenge her for that position."
Hearing their analysis, Shuta An gradually calmed down.
Then, a thought crossed his mind.
"Is this the effect of that ability?" The Young man narrowed his eyes. "Is this the 'miracle' it mentioned?"
"Making Oguri run a leading race—What kind of miracle is this?" He let out a quiet breath. "It's more like a scare."
He couldn't understand it.
But as he continued to observe, he realized that Oguri Cap didn't look like a reckless escape runner. Instead, she resembled a senko Uma Musume who had simply—and fortunately—secured the lead position.
"In that case…" Shuta An exhaled slowly. "As long as she keeps her composure and doesn't push the pace too fast early on, there shouldn't be any problems."
—
Oguri Cap herself became aware of her forward position as she entered the downhill turn.
"I'm a bit too far ahead—"
But she quickly judged the situation.
"This is a downhill section. If I slow down here and fall back, it'll only waste stamina unnecessarily. If no one comes to challenge for the lead, I can just keep running at a senko pace."
"I just need to imagine someone ahead of me."
With that decision made, Oguri Cap adjusted immediately.
And the escape Uma Musume she summoned in her mind—
was Miesque.
"I'll treat this race as a contest between Miss Miesque and myself," the gray Uma Musume murmured.
"Oguri Cap is still leading, and it doesn't appear that any Uma Musume intends to challenge her for the front," the commentator continued. "It's hard to imagine Oguri Cap attempting a leading tactic she's never used before—especially in her final Twinkle Series race."
"If she manages to lead all the way to the finish…" his voice rose slightly with excitement. "Just how many undisclosed trump cards does this 'Strongest in Japan' still have hidden?"
Only Shuta Trainer knew that Oguri Cap's decision to lead was nothing more than a whim—one that his own curiosity had gently nudged forward.
But the other fifteen Uma Musume on the track knew nothing of this.
When they realized that Oguri Cap had taken the lead, surprise rippled through the field. For a moment, several of them even suspected their own eyes.
Soon, however, the Uma Musume regarded as top-tier in strength began to think seriously about how to respond to Oguri Cap's sudden change in tactics.
—
"So it's my turn to mark Oguri Cap…"
Yaeno Muteki narrowed her eyes, her thoughts steady and sharp.
"Leading like this actually works in my favor. The Japan Cup unfolded similarly, but I was severely boxed back then. This time, there are no overseas Uma Musume marking Oguri Cap and targeting me at the same time."
Her grip tightened.
"This time…I can definitely do it."
—
Osaichi George, who had failed to seize the lead at the start, settled calmly into second place—precisely two lengths behind Oguri Cap.
"Missing the lead because of the gate was unfortunate," she acknowledged internally. "But the pace Oguri Cap is setting suits me just fine."
Her gaze flicked briefly backward, confirming that no one behind intended to press forward.
"If I maintain this position and wait patiently, I'll have my chance."
—
Mejiro Ardan followed behind Osaichi George—an unusually aggressive placement for her. Watching Oguri Cap from this distance, she felt a quiet ache rise in her chest.
"Her running form is truly magnificent."
Envy stirred.
"I wish I could win a G1 like her."
Her thoughts drifted, unbidden, to the Derby she had lost so narrowly. If she had managed to secure even a single G1 afterward, perhaps that regret would have softened—but so far, her most notable victory remained last year's G2 Takamatsunomiya Kinen.
"That stride… that presence…" Mejiro Ardan's gaze lingered. "So this is what a truly strong Uma Musume looks like."
Mejiro Dober's face surfaced in her mind.
"Dober joined Oguri Cap's team… Maybe she really can become the Mejiro Family's next hope."
Realizing she had drifted too far, Mejiro Ardan shook her head sharply.
"No. This is the Arima Kinen. Focus."
—
In the private box, Shuta An watched Oguri Cap's running form in silence.
"Oguri's controlling the pace very conservatively," Berno Light voiced her observation.
"I think so too," Tokai Teio nodded readily. "Maybe Oguri-senpai realized she shouldn't push too hard."
"The first 1000 meters should be around sixty-two seconds," Shuta An said. "That's a slow pace. The track condition today is at least good."
Though unspoken, he knew the truth—this season, the difference between turf and exposed soil at Nakayama was not particularly pronounced.
"I wonder if Oguri-senpai can really hold on until the end," Mejiro Dober said anxiously. "This is her first time leading…"
As someone inclined toward difference-chasing tactics herself, Dober understood well—switching tactics mid-race was no simple matter.
"Oguri will be fine."
Shuta An's reply was firm, without the slightest hesitation. As Oguri Cap's Trainer, his confidence in her was absolute.
—
Almost as if responding to their discussion, Oguri Cap passed the 1000-meter mark.
"The first 1000 meters in 62.4 seconds!" The live commentator raised his voice. "Oguri Cap has set a deliberately slow pace, and none of the Uma Musume behind her are pressing forward! At this rate, today's Arima Kinen may have a longer finishing time!"
With the 1000 meters behind her, Oguri Cap approached the turn once more.
"My stamina reserves are still ample," she judged calmly. "I'll have enough left for the final sprint."
Her focus shifted to how she would distribute her speed along the straight opposite the grandstand.
—
As an escape-type Uma Musume, Osaichi George was especially sensitive to pace.
"Under sixty-three seconds for the first 1000 meters—" She smiled inwardly. "This pace is perfect."
"And no one behind is moving up… Do they really think they can catch Oguri Cap with just a final burst?"
—
Mejiro Ardan eased her stride slightly.
"I need to conserve stamina. Otherwise, I won't have anything left for the sprint."
—
Meanwhile, hidden within the preceding group, this year's Kikuka Sho winner, Machikane Fukukitaru, was calculating her luck.
"My luck doesn't feel great today." She grimaced. "If only I could use a crystal ball during the race—"
Regret welled up, but there was nothing she could do.
—
As each Uma Musume wrestled with her own calculations, Oguri Cap approached the final turn.
"This downhill section will let me store as much leg strength as possible," she assessed. "I can start accelerating here."
She had already won the Arima Kinen twice. Though she was leading this time, her mindset remained unchanged.
She was still running with the heart of a senko Uma Musume.
And the final turn of Nakayama Racecourse was precisely where those using preceding tactics began to strike.
—
"My retirement race—" Oguri Cap lowered her center of gravity. "must be won beautifully."
Her focus sharpened as she recalled the sensation she once felt when battling Tamamo Cross.
"The last time I tried to enter my 'Zone' was during the Breeders' Cup Mile—and I secured a decisive victory."
"This is my final race in the Twinkle Series."
"Let me try one last time."
"Let me end it with a victory no one will ever forget."
Her aura erupted.
"Let me show you my true power."
The moment her foot entered the final turn, Oguri Cap fully activated her Zone.
Osaichi George's steps faltered. For the first time in her career, she was directly exposed to the overwhelming pressure of Oguri Cap's Zone.
"W–What is this…?!" Her thoughts spiraled. "Why does Oguri Cap suddenly feel like a completely different Uma Musume?!"
She couldn't comprehend it.
—
In the VIP box, Tokai Teio raised an eyebrow.
"Wow."
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